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Four Ways to Reduce Stress

Ward away painful TMJ symptoms by following these four stress-reducing tips.

If you are one of the 10 million Americans estimated to have TMJ, then you are probably looking for ways to reduce your uncomfortable symptoms. Did you know that stress often makes TMJ symptoms worse? All that jaw clenching and even teeth grinding puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on your jaw, which can cause soreness and pain. Your New City dentist offers up ways to reduce your stress to help ease your jaw problems.

Yoga

Yoga touts a lot of wonderful benefits including reducing stress and increasing strength and endurance. So, how exactly does yoga target stress? By teaching you how to breathe and connect with your body. Deep, focused breathing is an important part of calming and relaxing a stressed and anxious body. Plus, research has found that people who practice yoga regularly experience better sleep and feel less stressed.

Meditation

Meditation is more of a blanket term for focusing your attention and allowing your mind to clear of all those stressful, overwhelming thoughts. There are several forms of medication including guided meditation, mindfulness meditation and tai chi. Even yoga can be considered a form of meditation.

Guided meditation involves imagining a place or situation that you think is relaxing. Then you try to incorporate as many of your senses into the experience as possible. You may have a teacher guide you through this exercise, or you can do this on your own. The best part of meditation is that you can do it just about anywhere—while commuting home from work, while sitting at your desk, or while you’re trying to fall asleep.

Progressive muscle relaxation: During this form of relaxation you tense a group of muscles as you breathe in and as you exhale you relax those muscles. With each breath in you will tense another group of muscles in your body. It’s hard to feel anxious when the body is relaxed; therefore, by releasing tension you are also releasing stress. Another wonderful advantage of opting for progressive muscle relaxation is that you can do it just about anywhere on your own.

Massage: If you are aware of when you clench your jaw, you can easily focus on loosening the muscles. If you start to notice discomfort, open your jaw slightly so your teeth are apart but your lips are together. Gently and slowly begin to massage the achy areas on your jawline until you start to notice your tense muscle release.

If TMJ has been causing you pain and discomfort, we offer TMJ treatments in New City that can reduce your symptoms once and for all. Call us today to schedule your upcoming appointment.